Shloka 30

Vasiṣṭhāpavāha: Sarasvatī’s Diversion and Viśvāmitra’s Curse (वसिष्ठापवाहः)

Devanagari script

मांसैरभिजुहावेष्टिमक्षीयन्त ततो<$सुरा: । दैवतैरपि सम्भग्ना जितकाशिभिराहवे,महाराज! उसी तीर्थमें उदारबुद्धि बृहस्पतिजीने असुरोंके विनाश और देवताओंकी उन्नतिके लिये मांसोंद्वारा आभिचारिक यज्ञका अनुष्ठान किया था। इससे वे असुर क्षीण हो गये और युद्धमें विजयसे सुशोभित होनेवाले देवताओंने उन्हें मार भगाया

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: māṃsair abhijuhāveṣṭim akṣīyanta tato 'surāḥ | daivatair api sambhagnā jitakāśibhir āhave, mahārāja |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then, by means of an abhichāra (hostile, destructive) rite performed with offerings of flesh, the Asuras began to waste away. Broken and routed by the gods—resplendent with victory in battle—they were driven off and destroyed, O king.

Word by Word

• {'māṃsaiḥ': 'with flesh

• by means of meat offerings (instrumental plural of māṃsa)', 'abhijuhāva': 'he offered into the fire

• he performed oblations (perfect of √hu, with abhi-)', 'iṣṭim': 'a sacrifice

• sacrificial rite (accusative singular of iṣṭi)', 'akṣīyanta': 'they diminished

• they wasted away (imperfect/passive of √kṣi)', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'asurāḥ': 'Asuras

• anti-god/demonic powers', 'daivataiḥ': 'by the gods

• by divine beings (instrumental plural of daivata)', 'api': 'also

• even', 'sambhagnāḥ': "shattered

• routed (past passive participle of sam-√bhaj/√bhañj in sense 'to break')", 'jitakāśibhiḥ': 'by those shining with victory

• jita + kāśin)', 'āhave': 'in battle

• in combat (locative singular of āhava)', 'mahārāja': 'O great king (vocative)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Asuras
• Daivatas (gods)
• Āhava (battle)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a Mahābhārata theme: forces opposed to dharma (here, the Asuras) are weakened when divine-aligned power—ritual and martial—acts in concert. It frames victory not only as battlefield prowess but as the outcome of a larger moral-cosmic alignment.

What is happening in the narrative?

A destructive (abhichāra) sacrificial rite using flesh offerings is said to cause the Asuras to decline; subsequently the gods, radiant with victory, shatter and rout them in battle.